Rivals by Katharine McGee (American Royals book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, American Royals, and Majesty, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.

Relationships will be tested.

Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own?

Strangers will become friends.

Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world. When she meets a glamorous foreign princess, she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost?

And rivals will become allies.

Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson. Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison. Can these enemies join forces, or will old rivalries stand in the way?” - taken from Goodreads.

This book turned out to be so much more than I would have ever dreamed of. Queen Beatrice is trying to find her footing as the first queen of America. Princess Samantha is trying to figure out what her role in the Washington family will be once she is no longer Bea's heir. Prince Jefferson, third in line to the throne, is once again the object of every girl's wish to be a princess. I wasn't sure where the author was going to take this story line but she left readers desperately wishing that book four isn't a year away. 

Book four is due to be published in 2023.

Visit Katharine McGee’s website.

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez

 

“Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a talented flamenco dancer and daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. People come for miles to see her father fight in their arena, which will one day be hers.

But disaster strikes during their five hundredth anniversary show, and in the carnage, Zarela’s father is horribly injured. Facing punishment from the Dragon Guild, Zarela must keep the arena—her ancestral home and inheritance —safe from their greedy hands. She has no choice but to take her father’s place as the next Dragonador. When the infuriatingly handsome dragon hunter, Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, withholds his help, she refuses to take no for an answer.

But even if he agrees, there’s someone out to ruin the Zalvidar family, and Zarela will have to do whatever it takes in order to prevent the Dragon Guild from taking away her birthright.

An ancient city plagued by dragons. A flamenco dancer determined to save her ancestral home. A dragon hunter refusing to teach her his ways. They don't want each other, but they need each other, and without him her world will burn.” - taken from Goodreads.

Imagine an ancient Spain where instead of bull fights and matadors, dragons terrorize cities and crowds flock to arenas where the dance with death occurs between man and dragon. I was pleasantly surprised to find how quickly I fell in love with Zarela’s story and her struggle to save her family’s legacy. A determined young woman, she is drawn to the one person who can help her situation. With a slow burning romance and the mystery surrounding who is behind the Zalvidar’s misfortune, readers will dance through the pages of this book to see how Zarela’s story ends.

Visit Isabel Ibanez’s website.

Jade Fire Gold by June C. L. Tan

 

“In an empire on the brink of war...

Ahn is no one, with no past and no family.

Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child.

When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities.

But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.” - taken from Goodreads.

A stunning fantasy read where secret identities are the basis for the story. Having met by chance, not knowing who the other is, the story is told in dual POVs. Full of Chinese mythology, mystery and a slow burning romance that takes our characters by surprise, this book is an epic fantasy read. Billed as a standalone, the epilogue to the story has me rooting for more adventures.

Visit June C. L. Tan’s website.

Graceling (Graphic Novel) by Kristin Cashore, Illustrated by Gareth Hinds

 

"Katsa is a Graceling, one of the rare people born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she lived a life of privilege until the day her ability to kill a man with her bare hands revealed itself during a royal banquet. Now she acts as her uncle’s enforcer, traveling the kingdom and threatening those who dare oppose him.

 

But everything changes when she meets Po, a foreign prince Graced with combat skills who is searching for the truth about his grandfather’s disappearance. When Katsa agrees to help him, she never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that could destroy them all.” - taken fromGoodreads

An incredible graphic novel rendering of one of my all time favorite fantasy series. I cannot wait to see what illustrator Gareth Hinds did with the remaining books in the Graceling series.

Flirting With Fate by J. C. Cervantes

 

“Ava Granados will never forgive herself for being late to her beloved nana's deathbed. But due to a flash flood that left Ava in a fender bender with a mysterious boy, she missed her grandmother's mystical blessing--one that has been passed between the women of her family upon death for generations.

Then Nana's ghost appears with a challenge from beyond the grave. As it turns out, Nana did give Ava a blessing, but it missed its target, landing with the boy from the night of the storm instead. Was it fate? Ava refuses to believe so. With the help of her sisters and Nana's rather bumbling spiritual guide, she's determined to reclaim her share of the family magic and set Nana free.

For guarded Ava, befriending some random boy is the last thing she wants to do. She's gotten along just fine protecting her heart--keeping people at a distance is a great way to ensure no one ever hurts you. But as Ava embarks on her mission to retrieve the lost blessing, she starts to wonder if getting close to thunderstorm boy is worth the risk.” - taken fro Goodreads.

This was a heartwarming, uplifting story about love and loss. Ava rushes to get to her grandmother's bedside before she dies to receive her blessing. Only she has a minor fender bender on her way. Ava arrives in time to hear her grandmother's last words, a very cryptic message. Soon she realizes that her grandmother's blessing went to the young man she was in the accident with. With the help of her grandmother's ghost and a saint, Ava is in a race to figure out how to take back her blessing from Rion and be able to allow her grandmother's spirit rest peacefully. A magical love story that leaves Ava questioning her disbelief in the power of fate and destiny.

Visit J. C. Cervantes’ website.

Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer (Forging Silver into Stars book 1)

 

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! This book takes place four years after the events in the Cursebreakers trilogy. Reading the early series isn’t necessary to enjoy this book but it would be very helpful. 

“When ancient magic tests a newfound love, a dark fate beckons . . .

Magic has been banished in the land of Syhl Shallow for as long as best friends Jax and Callyn can remember. They once loved the stories of the powerful magesmiths and mythical scravers who could conjure fire or control ice, but now they’ve learned that magic only leads to danger: magic is what killed Callyn’s parents, leaving her alone to raise her younger sister. Magic never helped Jax, whose leg was crushed in an accident that his father has been punishing him for ever since. Magic won’t save either of them when the tax collector comes calling, threatening to take their homes if they can't pay what they owe.

Meanwhile, Jax and Callyn are astonished to learn magic has returned to Syhl Shallow -- in the form of a magesmith who's now married to their queen. Now, the people of Syhl Shallow are expected to allow dangerous magic in their midst, and no one is happy about it.

When a stranger rides into town offering Jax and Callyn silver in exchange for holding secret messages for an anti-magic faction, the choice is obvious -- even if it means they may be aiding in a plot to destroy their new king. It’s a risk they’re both willing to take. That is, until another visitor arrives: handsome Lord Tycho, the King’s Courier, the man who’s been tasked with discovering who’s conspiring against the throne.

Suddenly, Jax and Callyn find themselves embroiled in a world of shifting alliances, dangerous flirtations, and ancient magic . . . where even the deepest loyalties will be tested.” - taken from Goodreads.

Can I just say that Brigid Kemmerer is one of my go-to authors? Four years have passed since the events of A Vow So Bold and Deadly. Even though the beloved characters from the Cursebreakers trilogy appear, this story is told from three points of view, Tycho who is now the King's Courier, Jax, and Callyn.

There are many in Syhl Shallow who don't approve of the fact their Queen married a msgesmith. Jax and Callyn are far removed from the royal family living in the outpost of Briarlock. When an opportunity to earn some money for their tax debt appears, they agree to pass on secret messages. But when Tycho arrives in Briarlock, he senses something is going on. Soon all three find their loyalties and beliefs tested when the conspiracy comes to Briarlock. 

The start of a new trilogy, book two is expected in 2023.

Visit Brigid Kemmerer’s website.

Debating Darcy by Sayantani Dasgupta

 

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that Leela Bose plays to win.

A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can’t stand him. Unfortunately, he’ll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide.

But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters -- including Firoze Darcy -- and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too.” - taken from Goodreads.

I'm probably one of the few people who hasn't either read or watched Pride and Prejudice, but I'm quite familiar with the characters and plot. In this modern day spin on Jane Austen's classic, the story is set around a high school forensics circuit. A charming story where “Elizabeth”, Leela Bose, must overcome her past experiences with racism, Leela is Bengali, and see beyond her own prejudices, to see the real Firoze Darcy. 

Visit Sayantani Dasgupta’s website.

Ballad and Dagger by Daniel Jose Older (Outlaw Saints book 1)

 

“Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New York.

While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday finding a way back home, Mateo--now a high school junior and piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the other not so much)--is focused on one thing: getting the attention of locally-grown musical legend Gerval. Mateo finally gets his chance on the night of the Grand Fete, an annual party celebrating the blended culture of pirates, Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews that created San Madrigal all those centuries ago.

But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the night of the celebration, Mateo's life is forever changed when he witnesses a brutal murder by a person he thought he knew.

Suddenly Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans years and oceans. Deadly secrets are unraveled and Mateo awakens a power within himself--a power that not only links him to the killer but could also hold the key to unlocking the dark mystery behind his lost homeland.” - taken from Goodreads.

San Madrigal is the Atlantis of the Caribbean. After it suddenly sank, the mismatched group of refugees settled in the Little Madrigal community in Brooklyn. When a long held secret has no choice but to be revealed, Mateo Matisse's life is turned upside down. Enter Chela Hidalgo who has a secret of her own. When the some of the residents believe that the island of San Madrigal can be raised, Mateo finds himself at the very heart of the plot. Who can he trust and who will betray him? 

Book two is expected in May 2023.

Visit Daniel Jose Older’s website.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban

 

“Let’s play a game.

You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.

Are you ready?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.

But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late.” - taken from Goodreads.

Another great Diana Urban mystery where the reader will question the actions of our main character. How far will Crystal go to save her little sister in a deadly game of choice? 

I always had the real culprit in the back of my mind even when the author kept me second guessing myself. Crystal’s torturer was a complete shock as was that ending reveal. 

Visit Diana Urban’s website.